Help! Confusing low beam problem.

Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Hello everyone. So I have read the other low beam threads and no luck. I'm guessing it's my bulbs but they don't simply unplug like the ones I see being replaced on YouTube, or I would simply go buy new bulbs. I just got out of the hospital for 2 weeks and I'm about broke as I just bought a new house and haven't worked in over 2 weeks so going out and buying all kinds of Parts just isn't an option. The bulbs seem to be hardwired into something down in the headlight assembly. If this is some aftermarket rig from the previous owner( as he has done some modifications), can I just clip the wires and solder them to the leads on the new bulbs. All my tools were stolen from my storage unit so I only have a few simple things and I just need a temporary fix so I can get back to work and not get another ticket for driving with high beams. Please take a look and tell me what you think.
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Lol sorry I haven't used a forum in about eight years and I thought I could just click a button and upload the pictures but I think I have it figured out now.
 

Vince Waldon

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
Looks like an after-market HID kit methinks?

If so, issue could be the lamps, the ballasts, or the wiring job the installer did... hard to narrow down without trying out replacement parts.

Or, as you mentioned, cut it all out and splice back in the original-style sockets and wiring.. any wreckers in your neck of the woods where you can go cut off the harness?
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Thanks for replying. Well if you can see it there is a little black cube where two wires (that seemed to be original) go into and then two wires come out of it and into the headlight assembly. I'm wondering if this little black box is a ballast and if the two wires which look to be original that go into the little black cube it are the original power source and maybe I can just remove the box and use the two original wires straight to regular bulbs?
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI

The brown and yellow wires going into this little Cube are the ones I'm assuming are the original headlight power source so I was wondering if I could just remove everything else and use these two wires and go straight into the leads on regular H7 bulbs as a temporary fix till I get paid?
 

Vince Waldon

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
Don't have the manual in front of me to check which wire is which but you can quickly sort that out on the fly... and if you can grab the right sockets from somewhere your temp fix can stay permanent?

The only question will be if the PO changed out the actual reflector housing itself (he should have) to a HID version, or installed HIDs into the original H7-style housing. Probably the later? If so, replacement sockets/bulbs and you're gold. :)
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Thanks Vince. Well I found out that the yellow is hot and brown is ground. So could I temporarily just run these two wires straight to the leads of regular H7 bulbs? I also notice through various videos that the yellow and brown are the OEM wires that go into the headlight assembly.
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Just a guess based on your pictures;

PO dropped a HID kit into the stock housings. Those plugs with yellow and brown wires are the OE plugs for the stock bulbs.

Just install new halogen bulbs and plug those plugs on the bulbs. For the price of a couple bulbs you have low beams.

My OCD would make me tear all the old HID kit crap out of there.

Jason
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Yeah man trust me if I had my tools all that garbage would be gone. So you're saying just connect the yellow and brown wires straight to the leads on the new bulbs? There aren't any plugs on the yellow and brown wires anymore. They go straight into that little black Cube. Obviously I'm going to get new plugs and rewire everything properly but right now I just need headlights so I can get to work and back. Basically an emergency situation.
 

Vince Waldon

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2001 ALH Jetta, 2003 ALH Wagon, 2005 BEW Wagon
The sad thing is the HIDs were probably were not as helpful as the OEM lights that were removed... 'cause the pattern would be all wrong in the stock housing. Plus, hard on folks coming towards ya.

Yes, I'd say tear it out and start over with H7 sockets/bulbs.
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Yeah man trust me if I had my tools all that garbage would be gone. So you're saying just connect the yellow and brown wires straight to the leads on the new bulbs? There aren't any plugs on the yellow and brown wires anymore. They go straight into that little black Cube. Obviously I'm going to get new plugs and rewire everything properly but right now I just need headlights so I can get to work and back. Basically an emergency situation.
Oh boy....

Pull on the red part of the wiring from the HID kit - should be a terminal end that will pull out of the "little black Cube". The black cubes ARE the OE plugs that go on the bulb.

There should be NO NEED to rewire the headlamp AT ALL.

Jason
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Oh boy....
Pull on the red part of the wiring from the HID kit - should be a terminal end that will pull out of the "little black Cube". The black cubes ARE the OE plugs that go on the bulb.
There should be NO NEED to rewire the headlamp AT ALL.
Jason
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
LOL that's kind of embarrassing but I thought it was part of the HID conversion. There are only two wires going in and 2 coming out but I will look at it in a little while. I finally got back to work today so I will be able to buy some tools and parts soon. Thanks guys.
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI

So I just went in and pulled all that crap out, leaving me with the simple OEM plugs that I was calling cubes LOL. I know I should have done this in the first place, but I will go get a multimeter tomorrow and see if it's getting any power. Also I found some of the wires have the plastic coating cracked off right near each other where they can short each other out and I'm noticing it's blowing the fuses so I guess I'll get some liquid tape and fix those up. If I find power I'm just going to get some decent H7 bulbs and hopefully be done with this.
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
There is no filament in an HID (it's an arc lamp) so very hard to tell just from looking . . .
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Just a helpful hint. Touching the glass on a headlight even with clean hands can shorten the bulb's life. Because of the oil in your skin, always use a clean rag or a clean paper towel.

Don't you just hate it when previous owners do stupid things to their cars? Have you come across any other downgrades the prior owner installed?
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Oh, and you can't check for power at the plug. The BCM will check the circuit, see no bulb, and turn the power off. Likely all in a millisecond or so when you first turn ignition of lights on. Welcome to computer controlled lights.

Jason
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2018
Location
Atlanta
TDI
2004 Passat TDI
Just a helpful hint. Touching the glass on a headlight even with clean hands can shorten the bulb's life. Because of the oil in your skin, always use a clean rag or a clean paper towel.
Don't you just hate it when previous owners do stupid things to their cars? Have you come across any other downgrades the prior owner installed?
Yeah I found that out the hard way after I took the bulb out and touched it LOL. I'm wondering if I could wipe the bulbs down with rubbing alcohol or something change they haven't Ben turned on since I touched them. And that's assuming that the bulbs aren't blown. And I'm actually hoping they are LOL.
Supposedly he put some kind of chip in. I have no idea if that's true or not but the car runs like it just came off the showroom floor. Oh yeah and the super cool boost gauge on the dashboard LOL. I don't mind the boost gauge because it Blends in well it looks Factory.
 
Last edited:

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
An alcohol wipe is the ticket, and a lot of lamp makers ship a swap with their lamps for that reason . . . Myself, I always swab prior to final insertion no matter what . .. better safe than sorry! Not sure it's as critical on the HID, though, since the outer envelope is not actually the lamp - just a protective cover/uv shield - the inner quarts "bubble" is the actual lamp (in non-automotive arc lamp deployments, there is no envelope . . . and *then* cleanliness is critical, since a $240 bang is painful!)


Myself, if the reflectors were correct for the HID, I'd call it a massive upgrade over incandescent lamps . . . If not, then "it depends" . . .



- Tim
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Yeah I found that out the hard way after I took the bulb out and touched it LOL. I'm wondering if I could wipe the bulbs down with rubbing alcohol or something change they haven't Ben turned on since I touched them. And that's assuming that the bulbs aren't blown. And I'm actually hoping they are LOL.
Supposedly he put some kind of chip in. I have no idea if that's true or not but the car runs like it just came off the showroom floor. Oh yeah and the super cool boost gauge on the dashboard LOL. I don't mind the boost gauge because it Blends in well it looks Factory.
1. Yes, you can clean the bulbs with alcohol.

2. The bulbs are probably fine and the problem is either with the wiring or the ballast. Happens a lot with cheap HIDs.

3. If you have access to VCDS, you can find out if the car has been tuned. Select the Engine Control Module and look at the "Component" description. if there's an "RC", it has a RocketChip tune but I'm sure that other tuners also leave their mark.
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
I'd vote more on wiring . . . I find it unlikely that both ballasts would die simultaneously . . . He *did* say he found chafed/shorted wires, so perhaps the BCM is just plain refusing to power them.
 
Top